Roller mounted curtain slider

ABSTRACT

A SIMPLE AND EASILY USED ATTACHMENT FOR SUSPENDING CURTAINS IS DESCRIBED, CHARACTERIZED BY HAVING FREE-RUNNING ROLLERS, VERSATILE SPRING-LOADED HOOK MEANS FOR ATTACHMENT TO A CURTAIN, A SNAP-OPENING COVER HOUSING FOR EASY ASSEMBLY AND INTERCHANGE OF PARTS, AND MEANS TO HOLD THE SLIDERS IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP ALONG THE TRACK. IN ONE EMBODIMENT THE CURTAIN SLIDER MOUNTING IS ADAPTED TO SUSPEND CURTAINS AT AN ALGLE BETWEEN TRACKS AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES OF THE CURTAINS WHICH ARE NOT IN THE SAME VERTICAL PLANE. IN ANOTHER EMBODIMENT MEANS ARE PROVIDED TO SUSPEND THE CURTAIN FROM THE SLIDER IN A PLEATED ARRANGEMENT FROM TABS, HOOKS OR BUTTON SNAPS AND MAINTAIN THE PLEATED ARRANGEMENT OF THE CURTAIN AT ALL TIMES. PLEATFORMING REINFORCING MEANS AS ALSO DISCLOSED. OTHER EMBODIMENTS ARE DISCLOSED.

June 22, 1971 J. E. GOLDEN momma MOUNTED cunnm SLIDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 25, 1969 FIG. 4

Attorneys FIG. 7' F1618 June 22, 1971 J. E. GOLDEN 3,585,674

ROLLER MOUNTED CURTAIN SLIDER Filed April 25, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE N TOR Fla ,3 JERROLD E. GOLDEN By #4044471 1 71am) A Horn eys United States Patent O 3,585,674 ROLLER MOUNTED CURTAIN SLIDER Jerrold E. Golden, 54 E. Terra Cotta Ave., Crystal Lake, Ill. 60014 Filed Apr. 25, 1969, Ser. No. 819,386 Int. Cl. A47h 15/02 US. Cl. 1687.6

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A simple and easily used attachment for suspending curtains is described, characterized by having free-running rollers, versatile spring-loaded hook means for attachment to a curtain, a snap-opening cover housing for easy assembly and interchange of parts, and means to hold the sliders in spaced relationship along the track. In one embodiment the curtain slider mounting is adapted to suspend curtains at an angle between tracks at the top and bottom edges of the curtains which are not in the same vertical plane. In another embodiment means are provided to suspend the curtain from the slider in a pleated arrangement from tabs, hooks or button snaps and maintain the pleated arrangement of the curtain at all times. Pleatforming reinforcing means as also disclosed. Other embodiments are disclosed.

7 Claims BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Curtain sliders of many configurations are described and used in the art employing various means for attachment of the curtain to the slider, 'various ways of suspending the slider within a track and several forms of springactuated hooks. These devices employ dot-snap fasteners, hooks and slotted members to engage the curtains. In some devices although the hook for attachment to the curtain is spring-loaded, the angle of pull is canted and dependence is had on a button of nylon to engage a slotted track as the slide arrangement. In others, a roller in the form of a ball or double roller which rides in a track such as a split tube is used. Curtains are also hung to travel in a circuitous path. All of these devices are expensive to manufacture, ditficult to assemble and not always practical in use.

The prior art devices are singularly different from the instant device in that the parts of the prior art devices are riveted, the slides are not frictionless and tend to bend and catch, and these devices are not suitable for suspending a curtain at an angle and are not readily convertible so as to be used in this manner. These and other deficiencies in the prior art devices are overcome in accordance with this invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention concerns a curtain slider having double rollers operating within a cubicle track with a universal housing into which can be assembled a variety of springactuated curtain suspending means and also including a variety of such suspending means. The curtain slider is provided with a snap-on cover on one side of the housing which holds the spring in place, encloses and forms a housing for the spring and provides a guide for the oscillation of the fastening means. A free-moving piston-guide is provided to prevent the suspending means or spring from binding in the housing. The device also includes means for attaching spacing tape, a frictionless guide bushing for the attaching means and sew-on pleat stiffeners for use therewith. A feature of the invention is the adaptability of the device for quick and easy assembly for interchanging parts and for suspending a curtain at an angle before a window or as a partition in a room.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Several illustrative embodiments of this invention are shown in the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a track with a roller mounting constructed in accordance with this invention with a curtain attached thereto shown in phantom;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional of the track showing the roller mounting therein;

FIG. 3 is a side plan view of a roller mounting of this invention with the side cover removed;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the housing and side cover with the spring, piston-guide and hook removed;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the side cover member;

FIG. 6 is a partial, fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 66 of FIG. 4 showing the relationship of these parts as vie-wed from the bottom;

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional bottom view showing the cover member being snapped into place;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view showing the cover member in place;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a roller mounting suspending a pleated curtain and illustrating a pleat stiffener;

FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 9A-9A of FIG. 9;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the roller mounting used with a hook fastener;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the roller mounting used with a snap fastener;

FIG. 11A is a fragmentary view of a snap pleat stiffener for use with the roller mounting shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 12 is a plan view with the wall of the housing broken away to show the guided spring action;

FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view of the roller mounting of this invention used with a spacer tape; and

FIG. 14 is a partial perspective view of a curtain suspended at an angle.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, particularly FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 12, there is shown a curtain carrier 10 having a housing 12 with side walls 14 and 16, the back wall 18 and the snap-in cover 20. The top wall 22 has the protuberance 24 having the circumferential flange 26 as an integral part thereof. The side walls 14 and 16 carry the axle members 28 upon which the wheels 30 are rotatably mounted. The axles have a radial boss 32 near the end which makes the effective diameter of the axle larger than the bore hole through the respective wheels whereby to retain the wheels on the axles. The housing 12 and its walls and sides with the axles and the protuberance 24 are molded as a single unit and the cover member and wheels are separate units. These parts are preferably molded from nylon or similar plastic having high strength, self-lubrication or anti-frictional properties.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the carrier 10 is shown in place within the track 40 formed of extruded metal or plastic and provided with the opposing spaced side walls 42 and 44 each having an inwardly depending bottom track or flange 46 and 48 with an upturned inner flange or edges 50 and 52, respectively. The walls 42 and 44 are formed with a top flange or track 54 and 56 also having the inner downwardly depending flanges 58 and 60. U-shaped tracks or box type channels with inwardly turned inner flanges form parallel guides for the wheels 30 and are carried by the integral top wall 62 in spaced relationship by means of the depending flanges 64 and 66. The top wall 62 serves as a means for attaching the track to a structural member or ceiling and floor members where a curtain is to be suspended. The inner surfaces of the 3 flange pairs 46-54 and 48-56 are spaced apart from each other a distance slightly larger than the diameters of the roller wheels 30 and the track is fabricated so that the space 68 is provided to clear the protuberance 24.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 6, it is seen that the bottom wall 70 of the housing 12 has the Oblong Opening 72 and that the opening 74 in the side 75 has the peripheral recess 76 therearound, extending also into the bottom 70 as indicated at 76. The cover has the flange 78 extending therearound defining a peripheral recessed channel 80 whereby the flange 78 matches with or nests within the recess 76 so that when the cover 20 is fitted against the opening 74, the surface 82 is flush with the side 76.

The cover 20 of the housing 12 has a bottom wall 84 which is flush with the elongated tabs 86 on the inside, but thicker than these tabs on the outside to form the locking seat 88 on the bottom. The back wall 18 of the housing 12 (FIG. 3) has a pair of spaced apertures 90 and 92 therethrough and spaced so as to receive the tip ends of the tabs 86 when the cover is snapped in place. In this position the tabs slide with their bottom surfaces 94 against the inner surfaces 96 (FIG. 4) of the bottom 70. The locking seat 88 is dimensioned so as to slidably fit within the opening 72 but is not as deep as the opening so that once in place the bottom opening is partially closed leaving the space or opening 98 therein.

The drawings illustrate the hook member 100' having the shaft 102 with the nylon washer 104 at the inner end and the spring 106 carried thereon. The end of the shaft 102 is peened at 108 to retain the Washer 104. The washer 104 is relatively thick to act as a guide and move or reciprocate within the housing 12 with the outer periphery engaging the inside flat surfaces of the housing walls. The washer being round does not fit into the corners of the housing. The shank 102 of the hook 100 extends through the opening 98 when the housing is closed (FIG. 8).

In FIG. 3 the cover 20 has been removed and the last flat loop 110 of the spring [106 extends across the opening 72 in the bottom 70* and temporarily retains the assembly with the hook 100 extending out through the bottom opening 72 and the guide washer 104 spaced from the inside of the top wall 22, although the end of the shaft 102 may be against the inside surface. This is the position of these parts as the cover is assembled during which the tabs 86 are forced in the direction of arrow 103 under the bottom loop 110 of the spring 106 guided by the surfaces 96 (FIG. 4) in the sequence shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 to the final position of FIG. 12. In the closed position the wall 88 is flush at the bottom of the bottom wall 70 of the housing 12. The assembly is now unitized, the spring 106 is under slight compression, and, with the rollers suspended in a track, the hook 100' can be used to suspend a curtain 112 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or as in FIG. 14.

A number of different means can be used to detachably aflix a curtain to the roller carrier 10. For instance in FIGS. 1 and 2, the curtain 112 is shown with a tab 114 having the aperture 116 therein to engage the hook 100. The curtain is resiliently mounted from the tab 114 and can be extended or retracted along the track with the rollers 30 traveling freely in the flanges 46, 48. The same type of suspension is used at spaced segments along the curtain and in the preferred embodiment the tracks 40 are attached to the top and bottom of a window opening, as shown in FIG. 14 with the curtain 112 resiliently mounted therebetween at an angle from the vertical from the roller carriers 10. In order to retain some uniformity in pleating arrangement in the curtain, the carriers 10 are oppositely spaced from each other on the curtain between the spaced tracks as illustrated.

Furthermore, the device of this invention can be readily fabricated to include a number of readily interchangeable hooks, i.e., such as the eye member 120 (FIG. 10) shown engaging the hook 122 aflixed to the hem 124 of the curtain 112. Also as shown in FIG. 11 the eye member can 4 carry the snap fastener 126 retained therein and the counterpart of the snap fastener 128 being affixed through the hem 124 of the curtain 112.

It is highly desirable in this art that provision be made to readily adjust the tension on the curtain, provide means to cause the curtain to pleat uniformly and also control the spacings of the points of suspension so that the pleats are retained and the decorative appearance of the curtain is retained in any position, folded or extended. These embodiments are shown in FIGS. 9, 9A, 11A, 12 and 13.

In FIGS. 9 and 9A, there is shown a plastic corner stay member 130 for a pleat having a pair of flat, stiffribbed members 132 and 134 joined at the integral hinge 136. A tab 144 with spaced apertures 146 is an integral part of the stay member, and attached to the hook 100. The hinge 136 can be of thinner material and without ribs. The stay member can also be fabricated without the tab member 144 for use at intermediate pleats between support points along the curtain. The stay 130 is adapted to be sewn upon the inner side of a curtain 112 so that the hinge 136 is at or in line with the fold of a pleat and the members 132 and 134 hold the top edge of each pleat in a planar configuration. The bottom of the curtain can be similarly held in corresponding pleats. The stay member 4130 has the longitudinal reinforcing ribs 138 and a center double rib 140 on each side. The flat areas 142 are thin enough to be sewn through, as at 143, with ordinary needle and thread or machine stitched. The members 132 and 134 are about as long as the pleating desired and a pair of tabs 144 can be the same or different lengths, can be used on each stay member to hold heavy curtains or plastic sheet dividers. Instead of the tab 144, these stay members can have the hooks 122 or the snaps 126-128 molded therein or similarly attached.

An alternative pleat holder is shown in FIG. 11A wherein the snap fastener 128 is molded centrally within the elongated plastic tab 152 which attaches on to the upper or lower edge or hem of the curtain 112. A series of the pleat holders 150 would be used with the snap fastener 126 (FIG. 11) at the top or top and bottom of the curtain in one embodiment. The pleat holders 150 can be stitched, as at 153, to the curtain.

In FIG. '13, there is shown the spacer tape 154 having a series of spaced slots 156 therealong for engagement with the protuberances 24 of the slide carriers 10. The flange 26 is wider than each of the slots 156 so that the protuberance cannot pull out. The slots can be spaced in any desired manner along the tape and are preferably equally spaced from each other to facilitate uniform folding of the curtain. The track 40 is not shown in FIG. 13 but it is apparent that as the carriers 10 are moved apart this spacing is fixed by the tape 154, thus maintaining the pleated configuration of the curtain in unfolded condition. Also, as the curtain is recessed, the tape 154, being flexible, can fold into the space 68 of the track or between the carriers 10. The tape can be fabricated of cloth or plastic as desired.

As seen from this description the invention provides a roller carrier for curtains and the like in combination with a track member which is readily installed, easily used and is adjusted to suspend a curtain at either one or opposite edges and at an oblique angle in the latter instance. Further provision is made for uniform pleating of the curtain and uniform spacing of the curtain in the extended position. The installation shown in FIG. 14 can be assembled with the tracks 40 aligned in an oblique plane if desired. There is sufficient resiliency in the mounting of the rollers and in the guide member 104 to fasten the top and bottom tracks on horizontal floor and ceiling members along lines that are not in the same plane and still retain the oblique relationship of the curtain while also retaining the ease of movement of the curtain. Normally, both tracks would be hidden in recesses or behind decorative cornices or valances as used in modern construction. The curtain 112 can be constructed of any material to form a curtain or wall divider and the assembly can be of any dimensions. The assembly can also be suspended from a non linear track arrangement, that is, the tracks 40 can curve as desired.

What is claimed is:

1. A roller carrier for a curtain comprising:

a housing member defining an elongated chamber with an opening at one end and an open side intersecting with said open end, said side having an inset peripheral edge and said end opening being bounded by a flanged wall having inner planar surfaces;

a pair of roller wheels rotatably mounted outwardly from opposite sides at the other end of said housing;

a resilient compression member within said chamber;

a hook member having an elongated shank extending within said chamber afiixed at the extended end to said resilient compression member and provided with a hook end extending from said opening in said housing;

a guide member encompassing said shank member and having its outer peripheral surface in sliding relationship within said chamber, and

a cover member having a planar portion with a peripheral flange registrable with said inset peripheral edge of said open side and a partial end wall with a pair of tongues extending therefrom engageable against said inner planar surfaces and under said compression member, whereby said cover member snap-fits into said open side with said tongues against planar surfaces and said partial wall defining an edge of said end opening of said housing.

2. A roller carrier in accordance with claim 1 in which:

said resilient compression member comprises a coil spring encompassing said shank member;

said guide member comprises a disc axially retained on said shank member between the end thereof and the inner end of said coil spring.

3. A roller carrier in accordance with claim 1 in which: said side opposite said cover member has a pair of apertures to receive the tip ends of said tongues.

4. A roller carrier in accordance with cliam 1 in which: said resilient compression member comprises a coil spring encompassing said shank member; and

said tongues are engaged between the end coil thereof and said planar inner surfaces of said flanged wall.

5. A roller carrier for a curtain comprising:

a housing member defining an elongated chamber with a side opening intersecting with an open end, said open end being bounded on its inner edge by a partial wall and on its two sides by opposed internal a pair of rollers rotatably mounted outwardly from opposite sides at the other end of said housing;

a curtain engaging assembly including an elongated shank member with a resilient compression member aflixed at one end to said shank member and with the free end of said resilient compression member disposed about and spaced from the curtain-engaging end of said shank member;

said assembly being inserted into the side opening of said housing member with said free end of said compression member biased upon the partial wall of said open end of said housing member and with the curtain-engaging end of said shank member extending below the partial wall of said end opening and a cover snap-fitted into said side opening and having a partial end wall that slideably engages between said opposing flanges of said open end and under said free end of said compression member with its inner edge spaced from the curtain-engaging end of said shank member.

6. A roller carrier in accordance with claim 5 in which:

said housing has a flanged protuberance on the end wall between said rollers; and

a tape having spaced slots is provided which slots are engageable with said protuberances on successive roller carriers to maintain their extended spacing.

7. A roller carrier in accordance with claim 6 including in combination:

a track member having parallel flanged tracks receiving said rollers;

said flanged tracks being held in spaced relationship by a transverse wall;

said transverse wall being spaced from the end wall of said housing whereby to provide clearance for said protuberances.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 661,608 11/1900 Holtzclaw 160 348X 2,503,441 4/1950 Kamm 160-172 2,627,915 2/1953 Degnan et al 160346X 2,726,420 12/1955 Kemp 1687 2,993,535 7/1961 Taylor 160-173 3,013,603 12/1961 Rosenberg et a1. 160-348X 3,023,450 3/1962 Renner et a1 1687.6 3,287,759 11/1966 Foltz 16-87 3,312,273 4/1967 Adam et al 160'345 3,392,420 7/ 1968 Kless 1687.6

FOREIGN PATENTS 664,291 8/1938 Germany 16-87.6

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner P. C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

